Written Answers Monday 6 March 2006

Scottish Executive

Airports

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding it plans to make available to support the running costs of the upgraded facilities at Oban Airport.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive has made a commitment to fund operations at Oban Airport which is owned by Argyll and Bute Council. The operation of the airport will be subject to competitive tendering arrangements.

Airports

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that current proposals for the construction of a tunnel beneath Edinburgh Airport in no way compromise the safety and integrity of the airport’s infrastructure.

Tavish Scott: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-23472 on 6 March 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Airports

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on when a Bill for the establishment of a rail link to Edinburgh Airport will be introduced to the Parliament.

Tavish Scott: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-23471 on 6 March 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Airports

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when it envisages that work on the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link will be completed.

Tavish Scott: The Edinburgh Airport Rail Link is planned to be operational in 2011.

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Airports

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost of the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link will be, broken down by source of funding.

Tavish Scott: The cost and proposed funding will be included in the estimate of expense and funding statement within the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link Bill. The bill is currently being reviewed by the parliament and is expected to be introduced in mid-March.

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Airports

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to minimise disruption to Edinburgh Airport during the construction of the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link.

Tavish Scott: Discussion continues with BAA on construction methodology

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Alcohol Misuse

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on alcohol abuse awareness campaigns in each year since 1999.

Lewis Macdonald: The annual spend on alcohol abuse awareness campaigns since 1999 is as follows:

  

  Year
 Alcohol Awareness Funding


  1999-2000
 £25,000


  2000-01
 £469,970


  2001-02
 £315,086


  2002-03
 £1,073,516


  2003-04
 £833,140


 2004-05
 £744,000

Autism

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care’s speech to the conference on autism held in Aviemore in November 2005.

Lewis Macdonald: The Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care’s speech to the conference on Health and Autism has been published in the conference report. The report will be widely disseminated to health professionals and is available on the Scottish Executive website at the following link: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/care/VAUnit/ASD .

Community Councils

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for changing the present structure of community councils and when it plans to implement any changes.

Mr Tom McCabe: We are currently reviewing the operational framework for community councils and in support of this issued a Discussion Paper in November 2005, What can we do to help community councils fulfil their role . The closing date for responses was 28 February 2006. Once we have evaluated the responses we will have a clearer idea of any obstacles preventing community councils being a partner in the community engagement process and will work in partnership with them, local authorities and others in breaking down these barriers. The aim is to have an action plan in place by spring 2007.

Concessionary Travel

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will introduce a Scotland-wide rail, bus and ferry concessionary travel scheme for young people and what the definition will be of a young person under the scheme.

Tavish Scott: The Partnership Agreement commits the Executive to the progressive introduction of a national scheme of bus, rail and ferry concessionary travel for young people. We are currently developing detailed proposals to implement this commitment and an announcement will be made shortly.

Concessionary Travel

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has powers to offer concessionary fares on buses, trains, ferries and air services in an integrated fashion.

Tavish Scott: Scottish ministers are able by order to make National Concessionary Travel Schemes. This power is contained in Section 40 (1) of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005.

Concessionary Travel

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring has taken place of the existing concessionary travel scheme.

Tavish Scott: Local travel concession schemes currently employ a range of measures for monitoring and verifying travel concession data. These measures include data analysis, compliance audits of bus operators and surveys of bus services and passengers.

Concessionary Travel

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to ensure, so far as practicable, equity of access to transport for which the national concessionary travel scheme is available.

Tavish Scott: The Scotland-wide Free Bus Scheme for Older and Disabled People which begins on 1 April 2006 will provide access to card holders from anywhere in Scotland to a very wide range of services. The scheme will encompass bus and coach available to the general public, both local registered bus services and long distance scheduled coach services.

Concessionary Travel

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it is having with local authorities and transport providers to ensure equity of access for people with nationwide concessionary travel passes.

Tavish Scott: The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) and local authority representatives were included on the seven task groups set up to advise on the development of the Scotland-wide Free Bus scheme for Older and Disabled people. These included task groups which considered aspects of equity of access including which coach and bus services would be eligible in the scheme and the eligibility criteria for individuals.

Concessionary Travel

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the voluntary sector regarding the operation and extent of the national concessionary travel scheme.

Tavish Scott: Voluntary organisations were included in the consultation, which was run between 24 October to 5 December 2005, on the orders for the Scotland-wide Free Bus Scheme for Older and Disabled people to which over 130 responses were received.

  In addition the Royal National Institute for the Blind has been involved in discussions on the needs of the visually impaired in using smartcards for the Scotland-wide Free Bus scheme for Older and Disabled people.

  I have also met with the Scottish Pensioners Forum where discussion included the concessionary travel scheme and how it will affect older people.

Concessionary Travel

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why it did not extend the concessionary fare scheme to community transport services.

Tavish Scott: The introduction on 1 April 2006 of the Scotland-wide Free Bus Scheme for Older and Disabled People 2006 meets the Partnership Agreement commitment to a national free off-peak bus scheme for older people and people with disabilities.

  The scheme includes bus and coach services available to the general public including those community transport services which are also local registered services.

Concessionary Travel

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has done into the numbers and location of people entitled to the national concessionary fare scheme who will be unable to access transport.

Tavish Scott: Research has been carried out as part of the Partnership Agreement commitment to assess improved concessions for people with disabilities. It aims to identify the latent demand for transport and considers why people do not travel and what would encourage them to travel more. This includes issues around access to transport.

  This research looking into Improving Transport for Disabled People is now nearing conclusion and we aim to publish in April 2006.

Concessionary Travel

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what training is provided to personnel on buses regarding the operation of the national concessionary travel scheme.

Tavish Scott: The Executive is producing guidance for drivers on the operation of the Scotland–wide Free Bus Scheme for Older and Disabled People. The guidance will make clear the drivers must look after the well-being of people who travel under the scheme. Individual training is a matter for the operators to take forward.

Concessionary Travel

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been undertaken into the health benefits of a concessionary travel scheme.

Tavish Scott: None.

  It is widely accepted that one of the benefits of a concessionary travel scheme is that it will have a positive health benefit by enabling those eligible to travel to visit friends and relatives, access services and generally to be more actively involved in the community.

Concessionary Travel

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research (a) has been and (b) will be undertaken into the operation of the national concessionary travel scheme in rural areas.

Tavish Scott: The procedures which we are putting in place will allow reports to be produced to monitor the usage of cards in rural as in other areas once the national travel scheme is up and running.

Concessionary Travel

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have demand response travel schemes which currently are part of the concessionary fare scheme and whether these will automatically be available to anyone using the national concessionary travel scheme.

Tavish Scott: Demand Responsive Transport services which are registered as a local bus service will be included as eligible services in the Scotland–wide Free Bus Scheme for Older and Disabled People.

  Information is not held centrally detailing the demand responsive transport services available in each local authority.

Concessionary Travel

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with local transport operators with regard to delivery and operation of the national concessionary travel scheme.

Tavish Scott: The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) and local authority representatives were included on the seven task groups set up to advise on the development and implementation of the Scotland-wide Free Bus Scheme for Older and Disabled people.

Concessionary Travel

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with NHS boards regarding the savings to them as a result of the national concessionary fare scheme being extended to community transport schemes.

Tavish Scott: No such discussions have been held with NHS boards.

Deaf and Deafblind People

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many deaf and deafblind patients were treated by the NHS in each year since 1999 by each NHS board.

Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is not held centrally. National hospital activity returns hold information on patient demographics, diagnosis and any operations performed. No specific note is held of existing disabilities such as deafness and/or blindness.

Deaf and Deafblind People

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to provide out-patient and in-patient services for deaf and deafblind people with mental health problems.

Lewis Macdonald: We have no plans for separate provision. Guidance published in 2005 offered approaches for improved access to mainstream services by those with a sensory loss and a mental health problem. A copy of which has been place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 38922). That guidance will inform the approaches adopted by the partner agencies in each area to meet assessed and forecast local needs.

  The guidance includes a commitment to follow up, this July, on progress made by the agencies. The results will be published.

Deaf and Deafblind People

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to provide training and recruitment opportunities for deaf and deafblind people to enable them to work with deaf and deafblind patients.

Lewis Macdonald: NHSScotland employers appoint on merit and are committed to providing equality of opportunity to all. Employers should make all necessary reasonable adjustments to ensure that staff are able to fulfil their potential.

  In addition, NHSScotland offers a range of pre-employment training opportunities which are open to deaf and deafblind people. Pre-employment training provides participants with experience of working within the NHS and valuable life skills and interview preparation. Details regarding such courses can be obtained from NHSScotland employers and Jobcentre Plus.

Deaf and Deafblind People

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was available to overcome communication and language barriers for deaf and deafblind people with mental health problems in each year since 1999.

Lewis Macdonald: While specific funding is not provided for these areas, NHS boards must consider with their planning partners how best to respond to the guidance issued in June 2005 on Disability Discrimination Compliance: Access to Mainstream and Specialist Services for those with Sensory Loss and a Mental Health Problems ( www.show.scot.nhs.uk/sehd/mels/HDL2005_27.pdf ), and will be asked to complete a joint survey on progress in July 2006. It is for each NHS board to meet the health care needs of its resident population from within the level of funding available, taking account of national and local priorities.

Dentistry

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many dentistry students worked with an NHS dentist for their compulsory year’s training in each year between 1997 and 2005.

Lewis Macdonald: The number of dentists who undertook their vocational training year with an NHS dentist in Scotland in the requested years is provided in the following table.

  Number of vocational dental practitioners (VDPs) who worked with an NHS dentist for their compulsory year’s training; 1997 to 2005:

  

Year
No. of VDPs1


1997
89


1998
94


1999
83


2000
101


2001
94


2002
101


2003
101


2004
114


2005
126



  Sources:

  MIDAS (Management Information and Dental Accounting System).

  NES (NHS Education for Scotland).

  Note: 1. Some VDPs may train over a two-year period. For counting purposes, VDPs who train for two years are only included in the count for the year of intake corresponding to their first year of training.

Doctors

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many unemployed doctors there have been in each year since 2000.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is not held centrally.

  Centrally-held NHSScotland workforce information is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics, at www.isdscotland.org/workforce.

Epilepsy

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has taken to ensure that relevant information is available to children and adults diagnosed with epilepsy.

Lewis Macdonald: The Executive recognises the importance of patient information in helping people to manage their condition. The provision of such information is one of the main functions of the epilepsy Managed Clinical Networks, both adult and paediatric, which the Executive has been encouraging. The SIGN Guidelines on epilepsy also deal with information for patients, carers and others.

Epilepsy

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has taken, or will take, to ensure that patient information on epilepsy is consistently and uniformly available across Scotland.

Lewis Macdonald: The Executive recognises the importance of ensuring that information on epilepsy is available on a consistent basis no matter where in Scotland the person lives. The epilepsy Managed Clinical Networks, both adult and paediatric, have a key role to play in achieving this aim. Local implementation of the SIGN Guidelines on epilepsy will also promote consistency in information-giving, and the voluntary sector has an important role too.

Epilepsy

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures should be taken to ensure that teenagers with epilepsy are supported in the transition between paediatric and adult services.

Lewis Macdonald: We welcome the fact that the Scottish Paediatric Epilepsy Network intends to develop transitional care pathways dealing with the movement from paediatric to adult services of those with epilepsy.

Health

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether neonatal units issue the free information packs provided by the charity, BLISS.

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many neonatal units have a specialist counsellor in breastfeeding.

Lewis Macdonald: This is a matter for individual NHS boards. The information requested is not held centrally.

Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children aged between six and nine were prescribed Ritalin (methylphenidate hydrochloride) for the first time in each year since 2000, broken down by NHS board area.

Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is not available centrally. Data collected centrally relate to prescribed items dispensed by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors and do not include items dispensed through hospitals or hospital-based services. In addition, the available data are not patient-specific and cannot be used as a proxy for the number of patients receiving treatment with any particular drug.

  The website of Information Services Division of NHS National Services Scotland provides an Informed Comment on drugs used in mental health including drugs used for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. A link is attached.

  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/info3.jsp?ContentID=3588&p_applic=CCC&p_service=Content.show&.

Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children aged between 10 and 14 were prescribed Ritalin (methylphenidate hydrochloride) for the first time in each year since 2000, broken down by NHS board area.

Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the question S2W-23017 answered on 6 March 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Health

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22559 by Mr Andy Kerr on 30 January 2006, whether it will publish its written and oral evidence to the independent pay review bodies covering doctors and dentists (DDRB) and nurses and other health professionals (NOHPRB) in respect of the 2006 pay award for NHS staff.

Mr Andy Kerr: Written evidence from the Health Departments for Great Britain is published on the Department of Health website. Evidence from the Scottish Executive Health Department is contained in Chapter 7 of the Nursing and Other Health Professions (NOHPRB) document and at Chapter 8 of the Doctors’ and Dentists document. The evidence can be accessed through the following web link: http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/HumanResourcesAndTraining/ModernisingPay/AgendaForChange/ .

  Oral evidence is not published.

Health

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to monitor, review and issue advice on the contractual arrangements and regulatory framework between the Care Commission, public bodies and the private sector, in light of the case of Mrs Alma Murray whilst a patient in an NHS-contracted bed at the BUPA Hatton Lea Nursing Home in Bellshill.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive Health Department issued guidance in September 2005, to health boards about their responsibility for commissioning health services provided by the independent sector. This was developed in consultation with the Care Commission and NHS Quality Improvement Scotland, and is available at http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/sehd/mels/HDL2005_41.pdf .

  The guidance sets out the responsibility of NHS boards for ensuring that appropriate contracting and clinical governance arrangements are in place. The Care Commission and NHS Quality Improvement Scotland work closely together to monitor and review the quality of care in the independent sector, based on a Memorandum of Understanding between the organisations.

  We will keep the effectiveness of these arrangements in relation to NHS boards under review, and they will be considered by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland as part of the review of Clinical Governance and Risk Management standards which is due to start later this year.

Health

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Care Commission and public bodies with reference to the efficacy of the current monitoring, regulatory and statutory framework in respect of patients in NHS contracted beds.

Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-23332 on 6 March 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many pregnancies there were amongst (a) 12, (b) 13, (c) 14, (d) 15 and (c) 16-year-olds in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.

Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is shown for each full financial year from 1998-99 to 2003-04 in the table Pregnancies amongst females aged 12 to 16 years at conception from 1998-99 to 2003-04 , a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 38956).

Health

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive for which infectious diseases diagnostic tests are not carried out in Scotland; how many samples were sent out of the country in each of the last five years in respect of each such disease, and what the cost of sampling each type of disease was in each of the last five years.

Mr Andy Kerr: The table gives an outline of tests supplied to Scotland by the Health Protection Agency in England in the last three years. That is as far back as the information is available. For ease of comparison some organism tests have been grouped together e.g. Parvovirus because the type of testing has changed over the course of the three years reflecting changes in laboratory techniques. The vast majority of these tests are not primary diagnostic methods but confirmatory tests, additional typing tests following primary isolation (usually as part of an enhanced surveillance programme) or further identification requested where the local referring laboratory has had problems with identification. These services are for the most part provided for the whole of the UK because there is insufficient demand to warrant separate services in all four countries.

  The primary diagnostic tests not provided in Scotland, included in the list below are, C.Botulinum toxin, Bartonella toxin, S aureus toxin detection (related to food poisoning).

  

Laboratory
 
2002-03
No. of Tests
2003-04
No. of Tests
2004-05
No. of Tests


Food safety Microbiology laboratory
Bacillus sp 
11
4
41


C Botulinum toxin
7
12
6


C Botulinum culture
0
0
4


Clostridium sp
16
7
28


Listeria species
0
0
2


L monocytogenes
17
8
63


Staph aureus
62
0
0


Sub total cost
£5,096
£5,783
£ 9,366


Respiratory and Systemic Infection Laboratory
Diphtheria antitoxin
5
7
4


Bartonella serology
130
59
126


Tetanus serology
7
12
28


Legionella pneumophila serology
1
0
0


Mycoplasma serology/culture
2
0
1


Haemophilus influenzae typing
46
50
21


Streptococcal typing / speciation
0
3
50


Sub total cost
£7,937.75
£6,961
£9,937.74


Enteric, Respiratory and Neurological Virus laboratory
Influenza strain typing
45
46
3


Poliovirus serology
4
7
6


SRSV PCR/NLV PCR
168
2
0


Parvovirus B19 
55
70
43


Polyoma virus
42
125
124


Measles mumps rubella serology/PCR
18
154
189


Herpes B virus
94
5
0


Other virus PCR
0
0
19


Sub total cost
£13,772
£11,964
£12,348


Laboratory of healthcare associated infection
Species identification
77
65
53


Coagulase negative identification
9
0
3


Enterococcal identification
117
104
30


Staphylococcus phage type
90
119
2


Group A serodiagnosis
280
395
466


S aureus serodiagnosis
42
37
36


Gram negative typing
49
47
0


Exfoliative toxin testing
 
2
14


Molecular typing
11
31
141


Sub total cost
£20,071
£21,997
£19,747


Antibiotic and resistance Monitoring Reference Laboratory
Antibiotic resistance tests
217
242
143


Sub total cost
£7,595
£8,470
£5,005


Laboratory of enteric pathogens
E Coli serotyping
14
0
0


Yersinia serodiagnosis
157
99
71


Sub total cost
£3,420
£2,018
£1,562


Sexually transmitted and Blood Borne Virus Laboratory
Hepatitis
0
0
0


HSV serology
5
0
5


Anti HIV testing
0
0
33


HIV proviral DNA
0
0
1


HPV DNA/Typing
0
0
4


Sub total cost
£75
0
£732


Leptospira reference Unit (Hereford PHL)
Leptospira serology
117
76
104


Sub total cost
£1,249
£743
£1,297


 
Total cost per annum
£59,215
£57,936
£59,996


Annual payment from NSD
£41,200
£57,042
£55,001

Housing

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the incidence of home ownership has been in each year since 1979, expressed as a percentage of all occupied housing, and by how much it estimates home ownership will increase in each of the next 10 years.

Malcolm Chisholm: The following table provides information on the percentage of the total Scottish housing stock which was owner occupied at 31 December each year up to December 2004 the latest date for which an estimate is available. Annual estimates on the tenure of the housing stock are available only for the whole stock including unoccupied stock.

  Future trends in home ownership will be influenced by a range of factors including general economic trends, the levels of new building for ownership and social renting, numbers of sales to sitting tenants and demolitions.

  Estimated Percentage of the Housing Stock which was Owner Occupied

  

Year
Percentage Owner Occupied at 31 December


1979
35


1980
36


1981
36


1982
38


1983
39


1984
40


1985
42


1986
43


1987
45


1988
47


1989
49


1990
51


1991
52


1992
54


1993
55


1994
57


1995
58


1996
59


1997
60


1998
61


1999
62


2000
63


2001
63


2002
64


2003
65


2004
66



  Note:1. Estimates from 2001 revised following 2001 Census.

Housing

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much rent each local authority has lost in each year since 1999 as a result of council house voids.

Malcolm Chisholm: The following table provides the information requested for each financial year since 1999-2000.

  Rent Lost as a Result of Unlet Houses

  

Local Authority Area
1999-2000
(£ Million)
2000-01
(£ Million)
2001-02
(£ Million)
2002-03
(£ Million)
2003-04
(£ Million)
2004-05
(£ Million)
2005-06 (estimate2)
(£ Million)


Scotland 
33.6
36.5
39.8
40.2
28.6
25.8
25.4


Aberdeen City 
1.7
2.0
2.8
2.9
3.1
3.3
3.2


Aberdeenshire 
0.3
0.5
0.9
0.8
0.8
0.7
0.8


Angus 
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.5


Argyll and Bute 
0.0
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.6
0.6


Clackmannanshire 
0.2
0.3
0.3
0.4
0.6
0.5
0.6


Dumfries and Galloway 1
0.4
0.5
0.5
0.5
na
na
na


Dundee City 
3.0
3.0
2.4
1.5
1.3
1.0
0.9


East Ayrshire 
1.2
1.6
1.7
1.6
1.5
1.4
1.6


East Dunbartonshire 
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1


East Lothian 
0.3
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.3
0.2
0.3


East Renfrewshire 
0.2
0.3
0.3
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2


Edinburgh, City of 
2.1
2.3
2.0
2.0
1.8
1.4
1.6


Eilean Siar, Comhairle nan 
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1


Falkirk 
0.7
0.9
1.0
1.0
1.2
1.2
1.1


Fife 
1.7
1.8
2.1
2.5
2.4
2.5
2.3


Glasgow City 1
10.7
9.0
9.7
10.5
na
na
na


Highland 
0.5
0.8
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9


Inverclyde 
1.5
1.2
1.1
1.3
2.2
2.7
1.7


Midlothian 
0.1
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.1


Moray 
0.0
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.2
0.1
0.1


North Ayrshire 
0.6
0.6
0.7
0.6
0.4
0.2
0.3


North Lanarkshire 
2.1
2.0
1.7
1.8
1.7
1.6
2.1


Orkney Islands 
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0


Perth and Kinross 
0.3
0.4
0.6
0.6
0.8
0.5
0.4


Renfrewshire 
1.4
1.9
1.7
1.2
0.9
0.9
1.1


Scottish Borders 1
0.4
0.6
0.7
0.6
na
na
na


Shetland Islands 
0.2
0.2
0.3
0.3
0.4
0.4
0.4


South Ayrshire 
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.5


South Lanarkshire 
1.0
2.1
2.8
3.1
3.1
1.4
1.3


Stirling 
0.4
0.4
0.5
0.5
0.4
0.4
0.3


West Dunbartonshire 
1.5
1.9
2.3
1.9
1.8
2.1
2.1


West Lothian 
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.7
0.4
0.3
0.3



  Source: Information from councils’ housing revenue accounts published by the Executive in Table 9 of Local Authority Housing Income and Expenditure Bulletins.

  Notes:

  1. Properties transferred to housing associations from 2003-04.

  2. Data for 2005-06 are estimates provided at the beginning of the financial year.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many small housing organisations have been asked to merge with bigger organisations by Communities Scotland since 1999.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  No small registered social landlords (RSLs) have been asked or required to merge with bigger organisations by Communities Scotland or Scottish Homes since 1999.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many small housing organisations have been deemed non-viable since 1999.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  
No small registered social landlords (RSLs) have been deemed non-viable by Communities Scotland or Scottish Homes since 1999.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to HM Treasury seeking that all local authority capital housing debt be written off.

Malcolm Chisholm: No. HM Treasury has already made clear it will provide support to redeem capital housing debt only to those councils which transfer houses to community ownership.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will write off the capital housing debt of local authorities.

Malcolm Chisholm: No. Local authorities’ housing debt in Scotland totals around £2 billion. Redeeming this level of debt is not affordable without impacting on other key public services such as health and education.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities have used prudential borrowing to provide social rented housing.

Malcolm Chisholm: During 2004-05, 13 local authorities used prudential borrowing to spend on social rented housing. In 2005-06, 17 local authorities estimate that they will use prudential borrowing.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to reduce the regulatory burden on small housing associations.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Communities Scotland regulates and inspects Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) on behalf of Scottish ministers. We are aware of the disproportionate impact that regulation can have on small RSLs. By small RSLs we mean those with fewer than 250 houses. We have already set in place a number of measures to minimise this impact.

  In 2005 we introduced a tailored approach to inspection with reduced submission requirements, a lighter touch approach with no grades and short reports.

  Our requirements in relation to financial viability assessments are also tailored. Small RSLs, which are not developing new-build houses, do not have to submit the five year financial projections or loan portfolio information required from all other RSLs.

  Providing information on charitable RSLs direct to the Office of the Scottish Charity regulator (OSCR) for its annual return. This benefits all charitable RSLs.

  We will continue to review our approach to regulation and inspection to ensure that it is proportionate and risk-based and does not have a disproportionate impact on small RSLs. We are keen to consult with the sector on changes which will allow us to respond positively to the concerns from the sector about over-regulation in general.

Justice

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of, or has been involved in, the carrying out of abductions in Scotland by foreign secret services.

Cathy Jamieson: No.

Justice

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the public has been excluded from court when a witness has given evidence in each of the last five years.

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons have been for excluding the public from court when a witness has given their evidence in each of the last five years.

Cathy Jamieson: This information is not held centrally.

Local Government

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what efficiency savings it expects each local authority to make.

Mr Tom McCabe: The overall target for local authority efficiency savings has not been broken down into targets for individual authorities.

Mental Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children under 14 were recorded as having a mental health problem by NHS Scotland in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many clinical misdiagnoses of deaf and deafblind patients with mental health problems there were in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is not held centrally.

Mental Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of average income was spent on prescription drugs by patients with a mental health problem in each year since 1999 for which figures are available.

Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is not available.

Mental Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the number of consultant psychiatrists who are specially trained in working with deaf and deafblind people.

Lewis Macdonald: Guidance has been published on improving access to mainstream and specialist services for those with sensory loss and a mental health problem. A copy of which has been place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 38922). It is for NHS boards to consider this guidance and determine the ongoing training needs of all its staff in the context of local service planning and delivery.

  By December 2006, all NHS boards will have to publish a disability equality scheme setting out their plans for tackling discrimination against disabled people and promoting equality.

Mental Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation it has undertaken with NHS boards to ensure that they are meeting their obligations under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 and Disability Discrimination Act 2005 with specific regard to the treatment and care of deaf and deafblind people who have a mental health problem

Lewis Macdonald: To support effective implementation of the new Mental Health Act we have required regular progress reports from local area partnerships. These reports are published on the web. There is an on-going programme of visits with the local partners to discuss progress. The next round starts this April and will centre on delivery of the new arrangements and the Delivering for Health commitments for mental health.

  By December 2006 all NHS boards will have to publish a disability equality scheme setting out their plans for tackling discrimination against disabled people and promoting equality.

  Specifically on deaf and deafblind mental health needs, we have published guidance for Agencies on approaches to improved access to mainstream services for those with a sensory loss and a mental health problem a copy of which has been place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 38922). That guidance includes a commitment to follow up on progress made. A survey of local approaches will take place in July and the results will be published. Reminders have already issued to the agencies in this regard.

Mortality

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) perinatal and (b) infant mortality rate has been in each year since 1995.

Lewis Macdonald: The information is available on the General Register Office of Scotland website at: http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/library/vital-events/vital-events-reference-tables-2004/index.html .

NHS Staff

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many specialist neonatal nurses there are, broken down by NHS board.

Lewis Macdonald: Information on specialist neonatal nurses is not held centrally. Information on the number of nurses and midwives in NHSScotland, broken down by NHS board, is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics, at www.isdscotland.org/workforce .

NHS Staff

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to increase the number of specialist neonatal nurses.

Lewis Macdonald: We are on track to achieve the Partnership Agreement target of attracting 12,000 nurses and midwives into NHSScotland by 2007. This target is associated with all qualified nurses and midwives, including neonatal nurses. Information on specialist neonatal nurses is not collected separately.

  The Scottish Executive published the National Workforce Planning Framework 2005 in August 2005 which sets out a workforce planning cycle at national, regional and NHS board level. This planning cycle allows for a bottom up evidence based approach to future staffing numbers across all staff groups, including nurses and midwives. Workforce forecasts contained within NHS board workforce plans will help inform national decisions on future training numbers and supply.

  In addition, the Scottish Executive has funded 18 experienced nurses and midwives from across NHSScotland to complete the Advanced Neonatal Intensive Care course (NNIC) at Napier University. This course will take two years (part-time) and includes eight modules at Masters Level.

NHS Staff

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-21779 and S2W-22555 by Mr Andy Kerr on 19 and 30 January 2006, what the outcome was of the meeting between Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, UK Health Departments, the Department for Education and Skills, NHS Employers and the University and Colleges Employers Association on 31 January 2006 in respect of the Court of the University of Glasgow ruling on the form of contract for clinical academic posts and when and where the minutes of that meeting will be published.

Mr Andy Kerr: Health Department officials representing the Executive attended the meeting. The outcome was that a Memorandum of Understanding is to be written to clarify the employment arrangements that exist between NHS bodies and Universities, with a view to confirming that they constitute joint employment arrangements that are outwith the scope of VAT.

  The group is aiming to prepare the Memorandum of Understanding and negotiate with the unions by the end of March.

  Minutes of such meetings are not usually published but the following are the action notes that were circulated to attendees and guidance to NHS bodies will follow agreement of the Memorandum of Understanding.

  Action Notes of Meeting to Discuss VAT on Clinical Academic Salaries

  31 January 2006

  Mezzanine Room, Woburn House, Tavistock Square, London

  Present:

  
Nic Greenfield, DH (Chair)
  Martin Shaw, Guy’s and St Thomas Katie Petty-Saphon, CHMS
  Steve Large, BUFDG
  Eve Jagusiewicz, UUK
  Sharron Powley, UCEA
  Diane Gillhooley, Eversheds
  Chris Cardwell, NHS Employers
  Amerjit Basi, DfES
  Phil Sears, HMRC
  Cathy Smith, HMRC
  Paul Tuckett, HMRC
  Vicky Cave, DH
  Anne Rylatt, DH
  Anita James, SOL Employment
  Jane Davidson, Scotland
  Lee Sheddon, Scotland.


  Apologies:

  
David Ogilvie, HMRC, Prof Janet Finch, UUK, Sir Jonathan Michael, AUKUH.


  5. The meeting opened with introductions. It was agreed that the purpose of the meeting was to seek a practical and legal solution to the VAT implications of the Glasgow tribunal case.

  6. Vicky Cave briefly outlined the University of Glasgow Tribunal case and the financial pressures this had created for the NHS. Paul Tuckett provided further detail on the definitions of supplies of staff and services and how these related to the contractual status of clinical academics.

  7. Paul Tuckett outlined the key criteria which had to be met in contracts if they were to be considered joint for VAT purposes (and therefore outside the scope of VAT).

  
i. Each employer must recognise the status, rights and responsibilities of the other employer.
  ii. Each employer must fulfil its obligations and rights as an employer.
  iii. Employees must acknowledge and observe their rights and responsibilities to both employers.
  iv. The number of contracts is irrelevant.
  v. Substance takes precedence over legal form.
  vi. It does not matter if one employer acts as sole paymaster, pensions administrator etc. provided broadly appropriate costs are recharged to the other.


  8. It was asserted that most of these points were clear within the current contractual framework, and that an Employment Tribunal would have found that there were two employers.

  9. Discussion followed on the paymaster function. The following issues were important:

  
There would be one salary slip and one payroll.
  It is irrelevant who administers the pay as long as there is an appropriate recharge for the other employer’s share.
  The contributions of the individual employers need not be shown on the salary slip.
  The recharge could be agreed at organisational level, built up from individual level data.
  Membership of a single pension scheme is permissible although the recharge would include appropriate pension contributions.


  10. Discussion followed on the practical difficulties of addressing the paymaster issue within contracts.

  11. All agreed that joint job planning formed a reasonable basis for agreeing the level of recharge. It would be impractical to monitor beyond this. A global assessment of recharge which was "broadly appropriate" would follow. This approach was acceptable to HMRC.

  12. The meeting went on to discuss in detail the wording in the substantive and honorary contracts for Senior Academic GPs as a model for types of contract in place.

  13. Difficulties which required clarification were identified around:

  
Pay Progression authorisation.
  Annual and other leave authorisation.
  Disciplinary and grievance.


  14. Discussion clarified that, in practice there was a greater level of shared decision making and mediation than might be assumed from the contracts tabled, which represented one particular employment model for a specific small group. Practitioners advised that employees and employers view, and have always viewed the arrangements as two separate contracts of employment, and are clear as to where rights and responsibilities lie in any particular instance.

  15. It was clarified that reference to a service level agreement in the contracts merely reflected the work that a team of employees would undertake under the joint planning arrangements rather that the more usual use of the term to reflect a service provided by one body to another.

  16. Following discussion, all agreed that the current substantive and honorary contract framework provided a form of joint employment with two employers.

  17. There was a need to review wording in the Consultant Contract as well as the Academic GP contract as the wording in places may be different.

  18. It was agreed that it would be difficult to change the contracts which had been agreed through lengthy negotiation by the DH, UCEA, NHS Employers and the BMA/BDA.

  19. Instead, it was agreed to draft a Memorandum of Understanding to make absolutely clear that there are two employers, each with their respective rights and responsibilities as employers. This would form part of the totality of the contractual arrangements for all types of staff that are engaged by universities and NHS bodies under joint employment arrangements.

  20. The wording of the Memorandum of Understanding would need to be approved by all those who were party to the contract negotiations (UCEA, NHS Employers, Trade Unions, DH) and that SOL and HMRC would also be involved.

  21. The Memorandum of Understanding would make clear that:

  
It sets the context for the contracts of employment and forms part of the overall contract arrangements for the individual.
  In cases of conflict between the Memorandum and the underlying contracts, the Memorandum takes precedence.
  The "substantive" and "honorary" contracts are two separate contracts of employment.
  Where contracts require one employer to take action in circumstances where involvement of both employers would be impractical e.g. chairing an appeal hearing, this does not remove the rights or responsibilities of the other employer.
  The substantive employers would pay the full remuneration to the employee i.e. on a paymaster basis for the other employer’s share. An appropriate level of recharge would be agreed annually on the basis of the joint job plan.
  Pay Progression would be agreed by both employers and both the Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive would be core to the pay process.
  both employers would agree leave of all kinds.
  payment of allowances would be agreed by the two employers or decided by the employer to which the allowance was relevant disciplinary action would be initiated by the relevant employer under their code of conduct dependent upon the role in which the individual was engaged at the time of the incident.
  That there was a unique symbiotic relationship between the NHS and Universities in providing clinical academic training and research.


  22. Once agreed, the Memorandum of Understanding would be publicised and disseminated through UCEA and NHS Employers to employers and employees and placed on the DH Finman website.

  23. The memorandum would be designed for four country use.

  24. HMRC advised that if the Memorandum of Understanding genuinely reflected clarification of an employment situation and measures that were in practice all along, there would be no retrospective liability for VAT

  25. It was agreed that parties should meet and aim to conclude the Memorandum of Understanding by the end of February 2006.

  26. Once HMRC were satisfied with the content of the memorandum, they would issue a "comfort note" confirming that arrangements conforming to this contractual framework within the NHS and Universities would be outside the scope of VAT. This letter of comfort would also be published on the DH VAT website, and via UCEA.

  27. HMRC explained that the Glasgow Tribunal started from the assumption that there was a supply and limited itself to deciding whether the supply was of staff or services. It did not step back further to consider joint employment. The outcome of this meeting did not therefore cut across the tribunal decision and the solution should be available to Glasgow equally with other universities/NHS bodies. Scottish officials agreed to discuss the outcome of the meeting directly with the University of Glasgow.

  28. HMRC confirmed that their enquiries at local level had been deferred until the date this meeting. Cathy Smith would meet with HMRC officers to extend this deferral until the Memorandum of Understanding was in place.

  Summary of Actions:

  
1. HMRC to defer enquiries until Memorandum of Understanding agreed (by 28 Feb 2006).
  2. VC/AR/PT to review Consultant Contract.
  3. VC/AR to draft Memorandum of Understanding.
  4. NHS Employers/UCEA/Trades Unions/DH/HMRC/SOL to negotiate and agree wording of Memorandum of Understanding by end of February 2006.
  5. HMRC to issue "comfort note" once Memorandum of Understanding agreed.
  6. UCEA/NHS Employers/DH to publicise Memorandum to employers and employees.
  7. Scottish Officials to discuss implications directly with University of Glasgow.

NHS Waiting Times

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, although audiology does not fall formally with the National Waiting Times guidelines, many local audiology services operate to the standards specified in the guidelines.

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that audiology should join consultant-led services in falling within the remit of the National Waiting Times Unit to ensure that standards of service delivery remain at a level which minimises any disruption or discomfort to patients and maintains consistency across regions.

Lewis Macdonald: Audiology services do not fall under the current remit of the National Waiting Times Unit as audiology is not a consultant-led service or defined as a speciality. The Audiology Modernisation Project Board, however, set its own national targets for waiting times as a tool to measure NHS boards’ progress towards modernisation of the service and identify regional variations in service delivery and standards. It is the aim of the Modernisation Project Board that all NHS boards should achieve a high quality service with a maximum waiting time of 26 weeks from referral to fitting.

NHS Waiting Times

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its target in the partnership agreement to deliver "a maximum wait of 26 weeks for all out-patient appointments by the end of 2005" means that patients will be treated within 26 weeks.

Mr Andy Kerr: Our commitment in the Partnership Agreement means that, from 31 December 2005, the maximum time a patient with a guarantee should wait for a first out-patient consultation at a consultant-led clinic, following referral by a general medical or dental practitioner, is 6 months. This waiting time is measured from the date the referral letter is received by the hospital to the date of the out-patient consultation.

  Fair to All, Personal to each, published in December 2004, set out our plans to reduce this national maximum waiting time to 18 weeks by 31 December 2007.

NHS Waiting Times

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the data it uses for measuring its waiting time targets include patients who are currently waiting.

Mr Andy Kerr: Yes. The key datasets used to measure performance against waiting times targets are the in-patient and day case and out-patient waiting list censuses, which show the numbers of patients currently waiting – and how long they have been waiting – on the census dates.

National Health Service

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the options being considered as part of the review of neurosurgery across Scotland include neurosurgeons continuing to be based in Aberdeen and providing a range of neurosurgical procedures in that area.

Mr Andy Kerr: The model being developed accepts that neurosurgical activity will continue in Aberdeen, as an integral part of the Scotland-wide neurosurgery and neurology service set out in Delivering for Health .

National Health Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many emergency admissions there have been to hospitals in each year since 2000, broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) hospital.

Mr Andy Kerr: Table 1a

  Emergency In-Patient Discharges from Acute (Non-Obstetric, Non-Psychiatric) Hospitals; Year Ending 31 March 2001 to 2005

  

NHS Board of Treatment
Year Ending 31 March


 
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005


Scotland
472,504
481,655
476,536
477,145
475,614


Argyll and Clyde
39,389
38,418
40,038
39,587
39,945


Ayrshire and Arran
32,472
34,252
34,885
36,577
36,864


Borders
10,326
11,093
10,931
10,945
11,748


Dumfries and Galloway
13,204
13,242
12,750
12,015
10,360


Fife
23,730
24,915
24,650
24,923
24,876


Forth Valley
23,805
23,851
23,109
24,220
24,831


Grampian
45,693
46,174
46,240
47,462
45,978


Greater Glasgow
100,210
99,779
97,106
94,732
94,832


Highland
20,420
20,982
21,196
22,032
21,791


Lanarkshire
46,434
52,587
55,106
53,724
52,661


Lothian
69,421
67,786
63,681
62,694
65,058


Orkney Islands
1,206
1,386
1,494
1,659
1,644


Shetland Islands
1,808
1,973
1,739
1,668
1,722


Tayside
42,249
42,597
40,723
41,744
40,358


Western Isles
2,137
2,620
2,882
3,158
2,942


Golden Jubilee National Hospital1
-
-
6
5
4



  Notes:

  1. Formerly the National Waiting Times Centre.

  Table 1b

  Emergency In-Patient Discharges from Acute (Non-Obstetric, Non-Psychiatric) Hospitals; Year Ending 31 March 2001 to 2005

  

NHS Hospital
Year Ending 31 March


 
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005


Scotland
472,504
481,655
476,536
477,145
475,614


Aberdeen Maternity Hospital
73
25
14
16
25


Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
28,838
29,074
29,689
30,380
29,720


Aberfeldy Community Hospital
64
96
73
90
90


Aboyne Hospital
94
37
-
121
143


Adamson Hospital
25
39
29
12
3


Arbroath Infirmary
118
118
107
67
59


Ashludie Hospital
8
4
2
2
1


Astley Ainslie Hospital
-
1
-
-
-


Auchtercrag House
1
-
-
50
41


Ayr Hospital
13,431
13,822
13,708
14,338
15,005


Ayrshire Central Hospital
51
13
11
12
12


Balfour Hospital
1,206
1,386
1,494
1,659
1,644


Ballochmyle Hospital
53
-
-
-
-


Belford Hospital
1,941
2,212
2,014
2,164
2,092


Belhaven Hospital
94
106
94
116
127


Biggart Hospital
19
71
30
31
45


Blairgowrie Community Hospital
140
139
162
157
80


Borders General Hospital
9,394
10,267
10,124
10,190
11,045


Borders Nursing Home
-
1
-
7
4


Brechin Infirmary
235
193
234
223
187


Caithness General Hospital
2,192
2,202
2,374
2,378
2,327


Cameron Hospital
-
1
-
-
-


Campbell Hospital
27
38
32
33
13


Campbeltown Hospital
954
883
916
734
701


Canniesburn Hospital
213
175
119
437
747


Castle Douglas Hospital
132
132
109
93
50


Chalmers Hospital
427
392
443
364
361


City Hospital
985
829
70
81
103


Coathill Hospital
1
1
1
1
3


Coldstream Cottage Hospital
86
61
65
66
66


County Community Hospital Invergordon
-
-
1
37
2


Cowglen Hospital
1
-
-
-
-


Crieff Community Hospital
184
247
240
204
126


Crosshouse Hospital
17,641
18,899
19,797
20,843
20,566


Daliburgh Hospital
403
-
-
-
-


Davidson Cottage Hospital
551
593
507
458
347


Dr Gray’s Hospital
5,852
6,173
5,763
5,837
5,852


Dumbarton Joint Hospital
8
4
-
-
-


Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary
10,943
11,119
10,826
10,178
8,876


Dunaros and Salen Sick Bay
107
107
82
76
80


Dunbar Hospital
208
213
142
124
122


Dunoon and District General Hospital
1,534
1,307
1,285
1,126
1,053


East Ayrshire Community Hospital
190
287
295
354
305


Edington Cottage Hospital
13
28
102
153
123


Edward House Nursing Home
2
1
-
-
-


Fairmile Marie Curie Centre
320
275
276
230
31


Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary
9,826
9,438
8,912
9,842
10,102


Fleming Cottage Hospital
88
63
55
59
48


Forfar Infirmary
244
233
185
179
105


Forth Park Hospital
1,402
1,262
1,234
1,259
1,312


Fraserburgh Hospital
447
506
517
475
463


Garrick Hospital
1,572
1,442
1,360
1,382
1,142


Gesto Hospital
15
15
12
21
6


Gilbert Bain Hospital
1,808
1,973
1,739
1,668
1,722


Glasgow Royal Infirmary
21,828
23,261
22,519
20,206
21,024


Glencoe Hospital
-
4
8
2
5


Glen O’Dee Hospital
51
82
78
95
79


Glenrothes Hospital
118
111
111
105
83


Golden Jubilee National Hospital1
-
-
6
5
4


Hairmyres Hospital
11,291
14,613
15,046
14,681
13,645


Hawick Community Hospital
236
215
224
194
171


Hay Lodge Hospital
180
206
197
193
185


Howard Doris Centre
10
12
21
7
10


Hyperbaric Centre
9
17
22
33
14


Ian Charles Hospital
115
132
148
203
178


Insch and District War Memorial Hospital
96
84
72
70
77


Inverclyde Royal Hospital
10,112
9,707
11,021
10,714
9,935


Inverurie Hospital
109
63
100
89
104


Irvine Memorial Hospital
108
112
101
97
60


Islay Hospital
266
96
183
158
164


Isle of Arran War Memorial Hospital
391
397
377
390
393


Jubilee Hospital
452
564
529
537
493


Kello Hospital
120
112
155
125
117


Kelso Hospital
242
205
186
165
180


Kincardine Community Hospital
122
140
105
129
128


Kincardine O’Neil War Memorial Hospital
8
16
20
2
-


Kings Cross Hospital
2,066
639
-
-
-


Kirkcudbright Hospital
141
138
170
129
80


Knoll Hospital
112
62
61
64
54


Lady Home Hospital
112
114
112
121
100


Lady Margaret Hospital
145
170
160
151
191


Larkfield Unit
-
-
5
8
1


Law Hospital
15,871
2,603
-
-
-


Lawson Memorial Hospital
395
416
445
406
371


Leanchoil Hospital
153
125
97
79
82


Leys Park Nursing Home
-
69
24
-
-


Liberton Hospital
302
704
399
761
672


Lightburn Hospital
21
25
13
18
17


Loanhead Hospital
4
4
1
1
-


Lochmaddy Hospital
44
-
-
-
-


Lockhart Hospital
150
172
144
188
150


Lorn and Islands District Gen Hospital
2,590
2,246
2,321
2,452
2,259


Mackinnon Memorial Hospital
616
822
819
813
953


Maidencraig House
9
4
4
15
20


Mansionhouse Unit
110
39
49
67
42


Maud Hospital
22
49
33
33
20


Mid Argyll Hospital
442
381
397
402
403


Migdale Hospital
39
45
40
48
47


Moffat Hospital
270
249
201
137
136


Monklands Hospital
18,738
18,806
17,861
18,132
18,067


Montrose Royal Infirmary
53
66
119
94
81


Netherlea Hospital
30
35
21
28
35


Newton Stewart Hospital
146
162
84
96
76


Ninewells Hospital
26,252
29,299
29,487
30,806
32,186


Perth Royal Infirmary
8,845
9,200
9,286
9,089
6,729


Peterhead Community Hospital
563
481
513
521
470


Portree Hospital
327
354
331
349
321


Princess Alexandra Eye Pavillion
-
-
-
47
172


Princess Margaret Rose Hospital
70
18
-
-
-


Queen Margaret Hospital
8,508
10,714
11,708
11,977
11,468


Raigmore Hospital
14,174
14,137
14,395
15,009
14,898


Randolph Wemyss Memorial Hospital
2
-
-
-
3


Ravenscraig Hospital
177
2
-
1
-


Riverside Health Care Centre
12
8
13
6
3


RNI Community Hospital
95
99
75
76
78


Roodlands General Hospital
480
513
508
570
487


Ross Hall Hospital
-
-
-
1
-


Ross Memorial Hospital
58
55
45
74
71


Roxburghe House
166
124
136
109
103


Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital
5,174
5,185
5,092
5,319
5,244


Royal Alexandra Hospital
17,185
17,675
17,784
18,846
21,147


Royal Hospital for Sick Children
15,250
14,020
13,265
13,635
13,947


Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh/ R.I of Edinburgh at Little France
31,362
30,516
26,824
26,149
27,428


Royal Victoria Hospital
1,187
930
859
810
782


Seafield Hospital
80
115
190
168
143


Sister Margaret Cottage Hospital
34
36
32
39
31


Southern General Hospital
15,267
14,524
14,980
15,515
15,478


Spynie Hospital
115
134
130
77
20


St Andrew’s Hospice
-
15
25
29
-


St Andrews Memorial Hospital
184
199
244
205
180


St Brendan’s Hospital
115
126
97
112
87


St Columba’s Hospice
237
225
244
123
-


Stephen Cottage Hospital
46
82
73
79
68


Stirling Royal Infirmary
13,979
14,413
14,197
14,376
14,710


St John’s Hospital At Howden
13,580
13,861
14,291
14,515
14,296


St Margaret’s Hospital
151
121
172
165
81


Stobhill Hospital
13,504
13,492
12,726
12,482
11,593


Stonehouse Hospital
113
-
-
-
-


Stracathro Hospital
3,144
1,602
53
37
29


Strathcarron Hospice
-
-
-
2
19


St Vincent’s Hospital
-
6
54
53
34


The New Craigs
-
-
-
9
-


The Shieling Nursing Home
30
32
29
21
9


Tor-Na-Dee Hospital
2
-
-
-
-


Town and County Hospital Nairn
235
258
272
259
276


Turner Memorial Hospital
203
267
236
226
154


Turriff Cottage Hospital
221
259
227
244
267


Udston Hospital
15
-
5
1
-


Uist & Barra Hospital
27
450
437
439
361


Vale of Leven District General Hospital
5,476
5,446
5,517
4,507
3,634


Victoria Hospital
13,954
12,985
11,751
11,860
12,315


Victoria Hospital Annexe
7
11
9
4
9


Victoria Infirmary
18,144
17,916
16,672
15,782
15,378


Victoria Infirmary Helensburgh
36
52
46
36
36


Victoria Memorial Cottage Hospital
23
37
39
51
24


Western General Hospital
15,061
14,896
15,240
14,248
16,045


Western Infirmary/Gartnavel General
22,250
21,815
22,108
22,094
22,045


Western Isles Hospital
1,548
2,044
2,348
2,607
2,494


Wishaw General Hospital
-
16,114
21,718
20,395
20,555


Woodend General Hospital
2,230
1,995
2,000
2,221
1,723



  Notes:

  1. Formerly the National Waiting Times Centre.

  Background

  1. These statistics are derived from data collected on discharges from non-obstetric and non-psychiatric specialties (SMR01) in Scotland.

  2. Information on hospital discharges relates to episodes of in-patient care rather than individual patients. The same patient may account for several hospital discharges during the course of a year (or across years) and will be counted each time in the table.

National Health Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many elective surgical cancellations there have been in hospitals in each year since 2000, broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) hospital.

Mr Andy Kerr: Information on the number of cancellations, prior to in-patient and day case admission in selected surgical specialties by health board area and hospital for the years ending 31 March 2000-05 is shown in table 1.

  Table 1: Cancellation of Planned Admissions for In-Patient or Day Case Treatment;

  By Health Board Area and NHS Hospital for Surgical Specialties1: Years ending 31 March 2000-05

  

 
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005


Scotland
11 920
13 752
14 016
14 974
13 478
13 062


Argyll and Clyde
760
1 199
1 000
1 385
844
760


Inverclyde Royal Hospital
126
156
139
251
312
317


Lorn and Islands District Gen Hospital
-
4
-
4
-
15


Royal Alexandra Hospital
476
834
739
932
438
344


Vale of Leven District General Hospital
156
203
117
198
94
82


Victoria Hospital
2
2
5
-
-
2


Ayrshire and Arran
439
358
311
252
230
479


Ayr Hospital
187
204
103
55
18
127


Ayrshire Central Hospital
-
-
7
3
1
-


Crosshouse Hospital
252
154
201
194
211
352


Borders
 
 
 
 
 
 


Borders General Hospital
356
273
213
255
219
317


Dumfries and Galloway
277
151
98
534
421
421


Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary2
277
151
98
486
421
421


Garrick Hospital
-
-
-
48
-
-


Fife
1 375
973
956
922
1 132
1 131


Forth Park Hospital
65
141
90
62
99
30


Queen Margaret Hospital
762
514
573
529
555
644


Victoria Hospital
548
318
293
331
478
457


Forth Valley
417
565
727
600
919
621


Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary
97
204
252
263
478
301


Stirling Royal Infirmary
320
361
475
337
441
320


Grampian
1 361
1 589
1 420
1 376
1 462
1 344


Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
1 054
1 164
1 085
1 056
1 010
973


Chalmers Hospital
4
2
-
-
-
-


Dr Gray’s Hospital
219
272
199
181
217
199


Jubilee Hospital
1
-
-
-
-
-


Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital
74
131
73
83
119
76


Woodend General Hospital
9
20
63
56
116
96


Greater Glasgow
2 994
4 291
5 106
4 625
2 815
2 270


Canniesburn Hospital
-
34
338
366
34
19


Glasgow Royal Infirmary
1 205
1 318
1 448
1 136
456
437


Royal Hospital for Sick Children
83
115
151
206
89
62


Southern General Hospital2
96
96
423
423
418
418


Stobhill Hospital
107
926
712
381
242
152


Victoria Infirmary
1 041
1 102
1 290
1 298
918
436


Western Infirmary/Gartnavel General
462
700
744
815
658
746


Highland
719
804
684
630
853
1 084


Belford Hospital
18
21
28
40
24
17


Caithness General Hospital
13
4
4
15
72
52


Lawson Memorial Hospital
13
19
21
11
36
22


Mackinnon Memorial Hospital
3
4
28
11
12
21


Raigmore Hospital
672
756
603
553
709
972


Lanarkshire
381
353
398
1 031
1 249
1 518


Hairmyres Hospital
67
64
219
889
1 050
925


Law Hospital
130
44
2
-
-
-


Monklands Hospital
119
159
98
71
123
168


Stonehouse Hospital
65
86
-
-
-
-


Wishaw General Hospital
-
-
79
71
76
425


Lothian
1 456
1 786
1 887
2 177
2 202
2 025


City Hospital
152
139
98
-
-
-


Princess Alexandra Eye Pavillion
-
-
-
-
155
321


Princess Margaret Rose Hospital
131
95
137
-
-
-


Royal Hospital for Sick Children
25
41
54
70
111
110


Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh
454
451
728
888
208
-


Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh at Little France
-
-
2
126
601
589


St John’s Hospital At Howden
320
297
340
472
301
282


Western General Hospital
374
763
528
621
826
723


Orkney
 
 
 
 
 
 


Balfour Hospital
20
14
7
15
15
22


Shetland
 
 
 
 
 
 


Gilbert Bain Hospital
25
17
34
9
2
7


Tayside
1 334
1 375
1 151
1 132
1 047
998


Ninewells Hospital
1 088
1 136
774
751
734
705


Perth Royal Infirmary
134
123
281
304
235
230


Stracathro Hospital
112
116
96
77
78
63


Western Isles
6
4
24
31
68
65


Uist and Barra Hospital
-
-
-
-
6
-


Western Isles Hospital
6
4
24
31
62
65



  Source: ISD Scotland ISD(S)1.

  Notes:

  1. Includes specialties; general surgery, vascular surgery, anaesthetics, cardiothoracic surgery, cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery, ENT (ear, nose and throat), neurosurgery, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, plastic surgery, surgical paediatrics, urology, gynaecology, chiropody, surgical podiatry and oral surgery.

  2. Data for Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary for years 2004-05 and the Southern General for years 2001, 2003 and 2005 are not available. Data for previous years have been used as estimates.

National Health Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions hospitals have been forced to close to new emergency admissions due to a lack of beds in each year since 2000, broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) hospital.

Mr Andy Kerr: The information requested is not available centrally.

  The majority of temporary closures to new admissions occur when a hospital is under particularly severe pressure, for example due to a substantial increase in emergency admissions during the winter months. Such closures are invariably of very short duration, and when they occur, arrangements are put in place to ensure that urgent cases are diverted to another hospital and that elective admissions which have to be cancelled are re-scheduled as soon as possible.

Public Private Partnerships

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-8327 by Malcolm Chisholm on 9 June 2004, whether it has now undertaken research to determine whether PFI/PPP impacts upon the capital costs of the NHS.

Mr Andy Kerr: No specific research has yet been undertaken.

  PPP/PFI does not replace public funding. In the current spending review period capital investment is set to increase on average by £60 million each year from 2005-06 to 2007-08. By 2007-08 capital funding will be almost £532 million. Of the total investment package of £2.1 billion over this period expected PPP/PFI investment of £0.750 billion, meaning £1.4 billion of investment in NHS infrastructure through public capital over the three year period.

Public Private Partnerships

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total amount is that has been provided in capital resources through all PFI and PPP projects and what the average rate of interest paid to all lenders has been for the provision of that capital.

Mr Tom McCabe: An estimate of the capital value of all PPP signed projects in Scotland to date is £3.2 billion.

  It would not be meaningful to calculate an average rate of interest over all projects as risks vary from one project to another and background market rates have also varied over time. Therefore, that information is not held centrally within the Executive. In general, PPP interest rates have reduced in recent years, reflecting market conditions and greater understanding and acceptance of risks. I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-17635 on 12 July 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Public Private Partnerships

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how costs incurred on each PFI and PPP project since 1999 compare with the capital costs that would have been incurred had each project been funded through traditional procurement methods.

Mr Tom McCabe: The PPP procurement route requires that in each project the Final Business Case must show value for money against a conventional procurement route before being selected, taking all relevant costs and benefits into account.

Public Private Partnerships

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the capital cost of each PFI and PPP project since 1999 has been and what the value of the capital assets so purchased was in each case.

Mr Tom McCabe: Information on the capital value of each PPP project in Scotland is available on the Scottish Executive Financial Partnerships Unit’s website at www.scotland.gov.uk/ppp . In PPP projects, the capital value provides an estimate of the capital cost of the PPP asset.

Public Private Partnerships

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of capital spend by each local authority was represented by spend on PFI and PPP projects in each year since 1999.

Mr Tom McCabe: This information is not held centrally and is a matter for each individual local authority.

Race Relations Act 1976

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its policies have been race impact assessed since the specific duties under the relevant provisions under the Race Relations Act 1976, as amended, came into force in 2002.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive published its Race Equality Scheme on 30 November 2005 and details of all the race equality impact assessments that are planned or underway are available from the scheme’s impact assessment database on the Scottish Executive’s website: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/Equality/18934/RList .

  Last month the full race equality impact assessment that was undertaken for the refresh of the Scottish Executive’s Smart Successful Scotland Strategy was published on the Scottish Executive’s website http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/917/0022572.pdf.

Rail Network

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it can confirm the approximate date for the introduction of a Private Bill to re-establish an Airdrie to Bathgate rail link and what the anticipated time schedule will be for (a) such a Bill and (b) completion of the project.

Tavish Scott: Network Rail, the promoters of the project, plan to submit the Airdrie to Bathgate Railway Bill in spring 2006.

  We anticipate the bill being passed before the end of the parliamentary session. Services on the re-opened line are planned to begin in December 2010.

Scottish Executive Advertising

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on advertising in Scotland on Sunday in each of the last five years.

Mr Tom McCabe: The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Executive, however our previous and current media buying agencies have provided the information at no cost to the Scottish Executive.

  The Scottish Executive advertising spend with Scotland on Sunday from 1 January 2003 to 23 February 2006 is as follows:

  

Financial Year
Spend


1 January 2003 (31 March 2003)
£43,829


2003-04
£6,480


2004-05
£29,821


2005-06 (23 February 2006)
£5,206


Total
£85,336



  The information on spend for the period 2001-02 and 2002-03 prior to 1 January 2003 is no longer held by our previous media buying agency.

Scottish Executive Procurement

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-11427 by Mr Tom McCabe on 9 November 2004, whether the revised guidance referred to has now been completed; if so, whether it will publish it and how the revised guidance differs from previous guidance issued.

Mr Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-21709 on 15 December 2005, which confirms that the Construction Procurement Manual is available at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Planning-Building/construction .

Sexual Health

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what resources it is directing towards reducing the incidence of sexually transmitted disease.

Mr Andy Kerr: The national sexual health strategy Respect and Responsibility contains a number of initiatives to improve sexual health in Scotland. That includes tackling the high incidence of sexually transmitted infections. Indeed, this was one of the primary drivers for developing a strategy.

  To help implement that strategy, I announced £15 million of additional investment over the next three years, most of which will be aimed at front line services. In the current financial year £4.5 million has been made available to NHS boards for this purpose. The boards will receive the same levels of funding in 2006-07 and 2007-08. This is new money which is in addition to the resources already being spent by NHS boards and other agencies taking forward sexual health initiatives on behalf of the Executive.

  In addition, in the current financial year the Executive has allocated £9 million to NHS boards for action to prevent the spread of blood borne viruses, including HIV. The funds allocated will rise to £9.3 million in 2006-07 and £9.5 million in 2007-08.

  The Executive provides a further £500,000 to a range of voluntary organisations, responding to the challenges posed by sexual health issues.

Sexual Offences

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what treatment it provides in the community to help people who (a) show inappropriate sexual behaviour which may develop into offending and (b) have committed sexual offences and how widespread the provision is.

Cathy Jamieson: Whilst the support provided for people showing inappropriate behaviour which may develop into offending is limited at present, we are committed to addressing their needs as part of the National Strategy for Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse. We have identified additional resources in 2006-07 and 2007-08 to help improve services, some of which will be spent on programmes targeted at changing the behaviour of perpetrators and potential perpetrators and also on other strands and behaviours that can be linked to abuse. The National Reference Group set up to help implement the strategy is currently working on the criteria for demonstration projects which will go beyond education to include developments that give perpetrators as well as survivors better access to more sensitive and responsive support services.

  For those convicted of sexual offences, there is a range of community based programmes on offer across Scotland. For example, the Community Sex Offender Groupwork Programme (CSOGP) is a cognitive-behavioural groupwork programme designed to reduce re-offending by adult male sex offenders. It is the first programme accredited by the Scottish Community Justice Accreditation Panel and is currently being delivered in 10 local authority areas. It is anticipated it will be adopted by other local authorities over the coming months. In the current financial year the Executive has provided funding in excess of £1.6 million to local authorities for the delivery of these type of programmes.

Supporting People

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what response it has made to the proposals set out in Supporting People: a view from Scotland’s voluntary sector .

Malcolm Chisholm: Community Care Providers Scotland and the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, who helped produce the material set out in Supporting people: a view from Scotland’s voluntary sector , are both represented on the group which is helping the Scottish Executive monitor the impact of the Supporting People budget changes made in the last Spending Review and the impact of the local reviews of services funded by the programme.

  We have indicated to Community Care Providers Scotland that the material they have provided will be taken into account in decision making on future funding, alongside the research currently being conducted on the cost/benefits of the programme as a whole and the monitoring exercise mentioned above.

Supporting People

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to local authorities in relation to managing funding cuts to the Supporting People programme and what steps it is taking to monitor compliance with such guidance.

Malcolm Chisholm: Comprehensive guidance has been issued to local authorities on the review of local services, through which the efficiency improvements will be delivered. The guidance sets out the key principles and processes for assessing the strategic relevance, quality and value for money of each service. It emphasises the importance of fairness and objectivity, with local authorities seeking efficiency improvements in a similar way internal and externally for all services and all providers, with transparency in decision making. Funding reductions shouldn’t be passed on in a pro-rata way across all providers without evaluation of the strategic appropriateness of the services or the scope for improved efficiencies.

  The Scottish Executive believes significant efficiencies are achievable in the programme and will expect to see evidence of that for the next spending review, but monitoring arrangements will also allow local authorities to record any adverse impact of budget changes on services and service users to inform future funding decisions.

Supporting People

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that voluntary sector services are not disproportionately affected by funding cuts to the Supporting People programme.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive believes significant efficiency improvements are achievable through local reviews of the strategic relevance, quality and value for money offered by all services funded through the Supporting People programme. It is vital that local authorities retain the freedom to secure maximum efficiency improvements where they judge best. Imposing the same level of savings on all providers doesn’t offer any incentive to providers to improve efficiencies.

  However, the Scottish Executive has issued guidance that all services and service providers must be treated fairly and objectively, with transparency in decision making and recording of decisions, and efficiency improvements sought by local authorities internally and externally.

  As part of the monitoring arrangements, agreed with stakeholders, local authorities will have to submit statements from a representative range of providers confirming they agree the process has been fair. If providers are unwilling to sign such a statement the local authority has to explain the circumstances and the Scottish Executive will investigate further. Analysis of the first monitoring returns does not appear to indicate that external providers have been disproportionately affected so far, but we will continue to monitor this aspect very carefully.

Supporting People

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it carried out an impact assessment prior to the introduction of national budget reductions and local reallocation of resources in relation to the Supporting People programme.

Malcolm Chisholm: Evidence from reviews of the Supporting People programme in England and Scotland confirmed the scope for significant efficiency savings with the price Waterhouse Coopers report indication wide variation in the cost of services across Scotland and the way they were configured. Unit costs in Scotland appeared considerably higher than England where similar levels of efficiency saving have been sought. The Scottish Executive put in £60 million of additional funding beyond that provided by Treasury to protect services and some authorities gain from the new distribution system.

  Local authorities in Scotland are performing service reviews of all services provided under the Supporting People programme and all service reviews are to be completed by March 2007. The Scottish Executive believes that significant efficiencies are achievable in the programme and will expect to see evidence of that for the next spending review, but monitoring arrangements will also allow local authorities to record any adverse impact of budget changes on services and service users. The information in the monitoring returns will be made available to the Supporting People Service Review Impact Group to inform their report to ministers on the impact of the service review process. Monitoring returns will be twice a year and started in October 2005. Initial indications are that services are generally being maintained in the current year.

Supporting People

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it carried out an impact assessment, specifically in respect of voluntary sector services, prior to the introduction of national budget reductions and local reallocation of resources in relation to the Supporting People programme.

Malcolm Chisholm: No impact assessment specifically in respect of voluntary sector services was carried out, but evidence from reviews of the Supporting People programme in England and Scotland indicated scope for significant efficiency savings. Monitoring arrangements allow local authorities to record any adverse impact on services to inform future funding decisions. Initial indications are that services are generally being maintained and no type of provider is being disproportionately affected.

Supporting People

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how budget reductions of up to 25% to the Supporting People programme can be achieved through efficiency savings without any reduction in services.

Malcolm Chisholm: Funding is now distributed on a fairer basis against a new formula and although some councils lose funding of up to 18% over three years others gain significant increases in resources.

  Evidence from reviews of the Supporting People programme in England and Scotland confirmed the scope for significant efficiency savings, and unit costs in Scotland appear higher. We expect councils wherever possible to drive out inefficiencies rather than cut services. Services should only be cut as a last resort and after a review of the strategic relevance, quality and value for money of all services and a rigorous review of the scope for efficiency improvements on management and administrative overheads.

  However, the monitoring and evaluation arrangements, agreed with COSLA and other external stakeholders, will ensure the full impact of the budget changes is properly assessed to inform decision making on future funding in the next spending review.

Tartan Day

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it spent on Tartan Day celebrations in the United States of America in (a) 2003, (b) 2004 and (c) 2005, broken down by department and agency.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive support for Tartan Day/Week was -

  
(a) 2003 – £30,000;
  (b) 2004 – £200,000, and
  (c) 2005 - £480,000.

Tartan Day

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the aims are of its attendance at the Tartan Day celebrations in the United States of America this year.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Executive’s Tartan Week activity flows from our International Strategy. It has the following objectives:

  
building political ties;
  attracting tourism to Scotland;
  promoting economic growth, and
  cementing cultural ties.


  Tartan Week offers Scottish ministers and members of the Parliamentary delegation an opportunity to promote Scotland as an excellent place to visit, study, live and do business.

Tartan Day

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what it believes the positive impact for Scotland will be of its attendance at the Tartan Day celebrations in the United States.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Tartan Week 2006 programme includes a large number of events and meetings that will showcase Scotland as a place to visit, live, work, study and do business with. The Executive works with private, public and voluntary sector bodies in Scotland and in the USA to co-ordinate the programme. An evaluation of the programme will be carried out.

Transport

Frances Curran (West of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what examples of international best practice in transport it has (a) identified and (b) implemented to protect and enhance Scotland’s environment, in line with paragraph 13b of International Strategy.

Tavish Scott: There is an extensive body of comparative research and literature on transport and the environment which the Scottish Executive takes into account when developing transport policy. For example, we commissioned and recently published a study reviewing National Transport Strategies across Europe and elsewhere aimed at identifying best practice and provide a starting point for the development of the National Transport Strategy on which a consultation paper will be issued in March 2006. The study also covers the links between the strategies considered and wider policies such as sustainable transport.

  Further, Scottish ministers regularly engage in international activities and attend international events, like the recent Climate Leaders’ Summit in Montreal, aimed at supporting and fulfilling our commitments on the environmental implications of transport.

Vaccinations

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the public statements by England’s Chief Medical Officer and supported by the Department of Health, what peer-reviewed and published scientific evidence there is to substantiate the statement that vaccinated children in the UK grow up more healthy than unvaccinated children.

Mr Andy Kerr: The precise statement made by England’s Chief Medical Officer on The Midday News Radio 5 Live show on Wednesday 8 February 2006 was as follows, "And all the studies show that children who are vaccinated are much healthier than children who aren’t even against the other diseases which they are not being vaccinated against".

  Sir Liam Donaldson was referring to the study showing that after children had been vaccinated, they were actually less likely to get an infection following the period of vaccination. The published article is:

  Bacterial infections, immune overload, and MMR vaccine. Measles, mumps, and rubella. Miller E, Andrews N, Waight P, Taylor B. Arch Dis Child. 2003 Mar;88(3):222-3.

  The publication is available at: http://adc.bmjjournals.com/cgi/reprint/88/3/222.

Vaccinations

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the public statements by England’s Chief Medical Officer and supported by the Department of Health, what peer-reviewed and published scientific evidence there is to substantiate the statement that "science shows that a baby’s immune system can cope with thousands of vaccines."

Mr Andy Kerr: I refer you to the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics Pediatrics and the paper entitled Addressing Parents’ Concerns: Do Multiple Vaccines Overwhelm or Weaken the Infant’s Immune System? P. A. Offit, J. Quarles, M. A. Gerber, C. J. Hackett, E. K. Marcuse, T. R. Kollman, B. G. Gellin and S. Landry (2002) Pediatrics; 109 124-129. The online version of this article, along with updated information is available at: http://www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/full/109/1/124 .

Vaccinations

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-7004 by Malcolm Chisholm on 30 March 2004, what the take-up rate of the MMR triple vaccine at 24 months was in (a) each year from 1990 to 2000, (b) 2004 and (c) 2005, broken down by NHS board.

Mr Andy Kerr: The information requested is not available centrally for all years.

  Uptake rates for 1990-94 cannot be produced as universal MMR immunisation was not fully implemented at this time.

  Figures for 2005 are not yet available. They will be published on 13 March 2006.

  The following table shows the annual MMR uptake rates by NHS board, for the years 1995-2000 and 2004.

  Annual MMR Uptake Rates at 24 Months 1, by NHS Board – Year Ending 31 December

  

NHS Board
Year of Vaccination


1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2004


Argyll and Clyde
95.5
95.2
95.2
92.2
92.6
92.7
87.9


Ayrshire and Arran
92.8
93.8
93.9
92.2
93.4
93.7
87.9


Borders
91.2
95.9
94.9
91.2
92.0
93.2
90.4


Dumfries and Galloway
92.4
94.5
92.0
88.9
92.9
96.1
93.3


Fife
95.7
94.8
95.2
92.9
92.7
92.7
88.7


Forth Valley
94.8
96.1
95.9
94.2
93.9
95.2
90.5


Grampian
94.2
94.1
94.1
93.1
92.4
93.8
88.0


Greater Glasgow
93.4
94.1
93.9
92.5
93.0
92.7
87.1


Highland
89.8
91.2
89.3
88.3
88.0
86.2
81.8


Lanarkshire
94.6
95.2
95.3
91.8
92.4
93.8
88.1


Lothian
94.3
95.1
95.6
94.4
93.4
94.1
90.1


Orkney
96.4
96.6
96.7
95.3
96.9
97.0
89.4


Shetland
93.6
92.5
90.1
91.8
88.7
91.1
78.1


Tayside
95.0
95.1
96.2
93.7
93.2
93.5
88.9


Western Isles
96.0
91.6
94.8
95.1
87.6
88.6
86.9


Scotland Overall
94.1
94.6
94.6
92.7
92.7
93.2
88.3



  Source: SIRS/GIRS; ISD Scotland.

  These rates to not include data on single vaccines.

  Notes:

  1. The figures are sourced from the Standard Immunisation Recall System (SIRS) and from the Grampian Immunisation Recall System (GIRS). In December of 2003, the two systems were amalgamated and renamed the Scottish Immunisation Recall System (SIRS).

  2. Up to 2001 figures are based on aggregated returns from the individual NHS boards, using the form ISD (S) 13. From 2001 onwards, figures are based on snapshots of centrally held data when the relevant cohort reached 24 months of age.

  3. Uptake rates do not include data on single vaccines but may include information on triple vaccines administered out-with Scotland to children who now live in Scotland.

  4. The next release of immunisation statistics (including MMR), for the year ending 31 December 2005, will be on the 13 March 2006 via the Scottish Health Statistics website: www.isdscotland.org/child_immunisations.

Young People

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the weekly cost is of all secure accommodation placements in (a) England and (b) Wales for young offenders from Scotland.

Cathy Jamieson: In response to decisions made at Children’s Hearings, local authorities purchase placements for young people who require secure accommodation.

  The number of secure accommodation placements made by Scottish local authorities in England and Wales is not gathered centrally. The average cost of placement within a secure children’s home in England and Wales is currently £3,560 per week.

  In terms of service levels, a secure children’s home is the best comparator for Scottish secure care accommodation, where the average cost per bed per week was £3,458 in 2004-05. The information on secure accommodation in Scotland is detailed in the 2004-05 Scottish secure accommodation census which can be found at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/10/2791127/11278.